Look, I get it. I spend vast amounts of my time moving at a fast pace (i.e. dancing). We live in a world where relaxation is synonymous with laziness.

We think it’s an ugly word. But the truth is, it’s not.

We’re always on the run, always in traffic, always having some snarky fake-polite conversation with an obnoxious co-worker.

Stress is oozing out of our eyeballs.

So when you want to take a saturday and just binge out on Netflix, do it.

Just give yourself a chance to unwind and relax.

Our ancestors probably spent a good deal of time relaxing and our female hormones DO NOT work well in fight or flight mode.

So follow the lead of my dear friend the sloth and CHILL.

2. Get Enough Sleep

This goes along with relaxation but your body needs a solid 8 hours at minimum to function well. If you’re stressed, it probably needs more.

I have known many women who claim they “do better” on less sleep.

No. Just no. (That’s the cortisol talking!)

Sleep is a non-negotiable and if it is at all a possibility for you to get it, get it.

Myself, along with many others suffer from insomnia and trust me, its debilitating. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

So if you CAN sleep but you’re choosing not to, talk some sense into yourself from our friend the sloth.

The sloth NEVER passes up an opportunity for some z’s.

He’ll sleep anytime, anywhere.

Naps are ALWAYS an option and relaxing and cuddling help get you in the mood.

If you have trouble sleeping, there’s a couple of supplements I recommend. You can find most of them in my sleep post (find it here). I also really like Zen from Allergy Research Group for women who have difficulty coming out of fight or flight mode.

3. Look at Things From a Different Perspective

Ever notice how sloths are always hanging upside down?

Sometimes it takes looking at things from a different perspective to see them clearly.

Seeing as we live in a stressful world full of stimulation and annoyance, it can be hard to tune out all the noise and make the right decision about our lives.

Am I following the right career path? Is my diet working for me? Am I with the right person?

All of these questions can benefit from a different perspective.

Take some time, step away, maybe take a nap or two. When you come back to the problem, it might look a lot different.

4. Take Things Slow

On the same note, we also need to slow down to see things clearly.

Sloths take everything slowly. I’ve watched them literally take minutes to move a hand from one place to another.

It’s cute, but practical too.

We don’t often give ourselves the time to figure out how we really feel about something.

Most of us are conditioned for instant gratification and impulsive action.

Try taking the night (or the year!) to think about things. Sleep on it.

We don’t have to know everything right now and we don’t always get all the answers. Life is a long haul and it’s okay to take your time. It’s okay to do things slower than your peers. It’s ALL okay.